It's been a little longer than I originally anticipated (by about 2 months), but I finally got around to putting Sons of Sludge into paperback, utilizing Createspace's print-on-demand format. I got the proof copy last week, and I must say, physically holding your own book in your own hand is a powerful thing. It's something that I wondered whether I would ever experience.
But to be honest, it doesn't quite fulfill the usual author's dream of seeing their work in print. There was no literary agent deal, no publishing contract. No advance on royalties, or promises of marketing, or scheduled interviews with magazine editors. This was a completely independent venture.
In fact, I could have alternated between the words "boner" and "fart" for a few hundred pages and Createspace still would have made it available, as long as they get their money. In other words, anyone that calls themself an author can do what I did. Furthermore, if I had to pick between paperback sales and Kindle sales of S.O.S., I'd pick Kindle, because I get back a MUCH higher royalty per sale, even though its paperback counterpart is more than double the price.
So why did I do it? Channels. I'm trying to open as many channels as I can for people to find my work. E-book, paperback, blog... I'll even come over to your house and read you my book at bedtime (Okay, maybe that's going too far).
And in this world of increasing digitization, where the purchases of independent novels on Amazon are overwhelmingly the Kindle versions, many people still like to flip the paper pages of a book with their own fingers, just like nearly all of us did for the better part of our lives. I know... what a bunch of weirdos, right?
Anyway, the Sons of Sludge paperback is available now at Createspace (LINK), but if you're planning on getting it, I suggest waiting a few days until it's available on Amazon (LINK), that way it can boost my sales ranking, which is muy bueno.
And if you're one of those people that don't mind reading a great zombie book on a screen, this next part is for you:
Just in time for Halloween, the Kindle version of S.O.S. will be available for FREE download, starting Thursday October 30th through Saturday November 1st!
The first time I did a free promo for Float, I experienced a bounty of downloads, and I suspect this time around will be even bigger. Make sure you take advantage of this promo, and tell all your reading friends to as well. If they come up with an excuse, slap them, and tell them that it is a FREE Kindle book. Repeat the slapping, if necessary.
On my next post I'll be filling you in on what I'm currently writing, and how it will most certainly affect your marriage/socio-economic status/very soul. Don't be a stranger.
Monday, September 22, 2014
Monday, June 2, 2014
Sending Out An S.O.S.
Wipe the blood off your phone or iPad, and get your undead fingers ready for screen tapping, because the Summer of Sludge is about to begin. In just a few days (on 06/05/14) Sons of Sludge will be launching on Amazon.
But what does it mean for a book to "launch"? Simply put, it is a release, just like the opening night for a movie or the grand opening of a new store. But the reason I use the term launch instead of release is because it is a more active word. I don't just want to release this story, I want to propel it forward past the millions of books already available. I don't just want to "put it out there", I want it to explode in the faces of potential readers.
With the way Amazon works, every author wants their title to be in the top 20... or even top 100. When you're there, browsing readers who aren't exactly sure what they want to try out can see your book, possibly click on it, and maybe even choose it.
And there's more than just the Top 100 list of every Amazon book available. There's Top lists for sci-fi, romance, political, self-help, horror (that's me!), young adult (me again!), etc. Find yourself in any one of those lists, and your chances of gaining new readers dramatically increases. But being absent from them, however, might ensure your book is never found.
More sales leads to more exposure, which leads to more sales, which leads to... You get the idea.
So how does one land a coveted spot in the Top 100 of anything? It's not so much the total number of sales over the entire time your book is available, but rather a healthy spike within a concentrated amount of time, particularly in a day. Between selling 5 everyday over a month (total 150), or only 100 for the whole month, but all on a single day, you'll want to get that single day pop.
That's what a launch day is all about, and that's where you come in.
If you have zero interest in getting your hands on this book, fine. Not everyone likes the same kind of book, not everyone has enough free time to read, and not everyone likes to read books from a screen. I get that, and I'm not trying to pitch to uninterested readers.
But if you are planning on reading Sons of Sludge, I humbly suggest/recommend/insist/demand (don't make me make you!) downloading it on the launch date, 06/05/14. This increases the chances of putting it in any one of those Top lists, and kicking off the Summer of Sludge with a bang.
If you don't own a Kindle, and you've never downloaded an ebook from the Amazon Kindle store, the steps to getting S.O.S. are as easy as human-brains pie:
1. Get an Amazon account. It's free and only takes a few minutes to set up.
2. Get a Kindle Reading App. There's one for nearly every device imaginable (smartphone, tablet, Mac or PC), and it's also free and only takes a few minutes to set up. Here's a link: CLICK THIS. Then you just sign in using your Amazon account (see Step #1).
3. Get Sons of Sludge. It'll be $3.99, it's a great summer zombie read, and you'll be helping out your favorite indie author (me again!).
I'll see you on 06/05/14!
But what does it mean for a book to "launch"? Simply put, it is a release, just like the opening night for a movie or the grand opening of a new store. But the reason I use the term launch instead of release is because it is a more active word. I don't just want to release this story, I want to propel it forward past the millions of books already available. I don't just want to "put it out there", I want it to explode in the faces of potential readers.
With the way Amazon works, every author wants their title to be in the top 20... or even top 100. When you're there, browsing readers who aren't exactly sure what they want to try out can see your book, possibly click on it, and maybe even choose it.
And there's more than just the Top 100 list of every Amazon book available. There's Top lists for sci-fi, romance, political, self-help, horror (that's me!), young adult (me again!), etc. Find yourself in any one of those lists, and your chances of gaining new readers dramatically increases. But being absent from them, however, might ensure your book is never found.
More sales leads to more exposure, which leads to more sales, which leads to... You get the idea.
So how does one land a coveted spot in the Top 100 of anything? It's not so much the total number of sales over the entire time your book is available, but rather a healthy spike within a concentrated amount of time, particularly in a day. Between selling 5 everyday over a month (total 150), or only 100 for the whole month, but all on a single day, you'll want to get that single day pop.
That's what a launch day is all about, and that's where you come in.
If you have zero interest in getting your hands on this book, fine. Not everyone likes the same kind of book, not everyone has enough free time to read, and not everyone likes to read books from a screen. I get that, and I'm not trying to pitch to uninterested readers.
But if you are planning on reading Sons of Sludge, I humbly suggest/recommend/insist/demand (don't make me make you!) downloading it on the launch date, 06/05/14. This increases the chances of putting it in any one of those Top lists, and kicking off the Summer of Sludge with a bang.
If you don't own a Kindle, and you've never downloaded an ebook from the Amazon Kindle store, the steps to getting S.O.S. are as easy as human-brains pie:
1. Get an Amazon account. It's free and only takes a few minutes to set up.
2. Get a Kindle Reading App. There's one for nearly every device imaginable (smartphone, tablet, Mac or PC), and it's also free and only takes a few minutes to set up. Here's a link: CLICK THIS. Then you just sign in using your Amazon account (see Step #1).
3. Get Sons of Sludge. It'll be $3.99, it's a great summer zombie read, and you'll be helping out your favorite indie author (me again!).
I'll see you on 06/05/14!
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
The Summer of Sludge
The wait is almost over, and then the Sludge will be upon us. After more than two years of writing, re-writing, editing, querying, agent-talking, more re-writing and more querying, SONS OF SLUDGE will finally be available on June 5th, 2014.
It's about damn time.
For too long I've been aching to let people get their hands on this young adult zombie book, because I am so proud of it, and I believe in the story and characters so strongly. I held off in hopes of getting that elusive literary agent, of landing that publishing contract, and at certain times it almost felt like that could happen. Unfortunately that wasn't in the cards for Sons of Sludge, but thanks to the current tools at the fingertips of today's independent author, this story that I love won't suffer a quiet, anonymous end at the bottom of a drawer (or on my hard drive).
And with the current state of publishing and literature, who knows? More and more writers are releasing their work independently, retaining all rights and creative control, and some are even making more money than if they had a traditional publishing contract. Will that be my reality? Hard to say. To be honest, Float came to a rather early dead-end.
To ensure a successful launch for Sons of Sludge, I employed the work of a professional designer for the cover artwork, and I must say I am rather pleased with the results. There's a few websites that I will be sending this book to, looking to see if they can drop a review for me (and when the book launches, you can leave one too *wink wink*). I also plan to make this book available in print through Amazon, though this might not come to reality on June 5th.
So mark your calendars (for June 5th), and stay tuned for more updates, up until the SONS OF SLUDGE launch date (which is June 5th), and prepare for a Summer of Sludge (starting June 5th). I can't wait to let you read it!
P.S. - JUNE 5TH
It's about damn time.
For too long I've been aching to let people get their hands on this young adult zombie book, because I am so proud of it, and I believe in the story and characters so strongly. I held off in hopes of getting that elusive literary agent, of landing that publishing contract, and at certain times it almost felt like that could happen. Unfortunately that wasn't in the cards for Sons of Sludge, but thanks to the current tools at the fingertips of today's independent author, this story that I love won't suffer a quiet, anonymous end at the bottom of a drawer (or on my hard drive).
And with the current state of publishing and literature, who knows? More and more writers are releasing their work independently, retaining all rights and creative control, and some are even making more money than if they had a traditional publishing contract. Will that be my reality? Hard to say. To be honest, Float came to a rather early dead-end.
To ensure a successful launch for Sons of Sludge, I employed the work of a professional designer for the cover artwork, and I must say I am rather pleased with the results. There's a few websites that I will be sending this book to, looking to see if they can drop a review for me (and when the book launches, you can leave one too *wink wink*). I also plan to make this book available in print through Amazon, though this might not come to reality on June 5th.
So mark your calendars (for June 5th), and stay tuned for more updates, up until the SONS OF SLUDGE launch date (which is June 5th), and prepare for a Summer of Sludge (starting June 5th). I can't wait to let you read it!
P.S. - JUNE 5TH
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Contests and Self-Evaluations
"Good evening, and welcome to Josiah Upton's first blog post in 2014. For more, we go to Josiah."
Thanks, Josiah.
Looking back on 2013, it was both exciting and depressing. Exciting, because of the acceptance of Time Stops in an online journal, and also the slightest taste Sons of Sludge gave me of the world of traditional publishing, from actually being in talks with a real literary agent. It's the farthest I've made it to date.
And depressing, because the aforementioned novel did not actually project me into said world of traditional publishing, and S.O.S. still remains unpublished, unrepresented, and largely unread, except for a select few test readers. Also, I didn't actually write a new novel in 2013. Yes, considerable work was put into rewriting S.O.S.'s ending, resulting in what I believe to be a better, stronger story. But no new projects were started.
So what's on the menu for 2014? I'm glad I asked.
I sent a few updated queries out for S.O.S. back in November, which so far have yielded nothing, so my attention for this novel has turned to the 2014 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. The contest itself has yet to be announced (stirring up much anxiety on the message boards, since last year's contest was announced the December before), but I have my pitch, excerpt and manuscript ready to go when it does. Wish me luck!
Another thing on my mind is my first novel, Float. I started reading it again, and have made a startling discovery: It's not as good as I remember.
*gasps from the studio audience*
When I started writing, I heard people talk about the "starter novel", the first manuscript from a new author that, in almost all cases, finds zero success. I resolved myself that I wouldn't fall prey to this statistic, that Float was incredible and worthy of best-seller status, and any agent or publisher who passed on it was a fool.
I guess my eyes have changed. Maybe it's from the process of writing and rewriting S.O.S. to appeal to a specific agent, or perhaps having a better sense of what readers want out of a book, having read many more books myself than before I started. But I can now see its flaws more clearly, and realize the difficulty of finding an audience for this type of story. I understand how readers might not feel engaged, if they aren't musicians themselves.
Do I still think it's good? Of course I do, I wrote the damn thing. And I believe the support and enthusiasm that my friends and family offered was genuine. I still believe the premise is rather original (as original as anything can be nowadays). I still love the characters, and the journey that it takes the reader on. And I still think it's better than some terrible books I've had the displeasure of reading, ones that somehow made onto the shelves.
I'm less biased though, now. I can see it for what it is... *sigh* A starter novel.
But that makes me worried. What if the same is true about Sons of Sludge? What if, a few years from now, I feel the same way about that? What if I enter it into the ABNA contest, and it doesn't even make it past the first cut? I can't answer that question right now. I'm too close, too invested in this story at the moment. I guess time will tell.
But what of the future of the Float series? I said before, I still think the premise is unique, but perhaps my execution was at fault. It seems the vast majority of young adult readers are female, and therefore the genre has much more female protagonists than male. This puts Float (and even S.O.S.) at a disadvantage. The first change is to create a female hero, one I hope my maleness won't taint. (Note to self: Don't immediately describe the character's boobs.)
Also, setting Paranormal Music in a modern setting, with electric guitars and rock/metal bands, is exciting (especially for a guitar-playing, rock/metal fan like myself), but that admittedly limits the readership appeal. For a new setting, I turn to my undying love for the fantasy works of J.R.R. Tolkien, and am putting the Paranormal Stones in a different world, wielded by skilled singers. Swords, horses, monsters, evil kings... all that jazz.
So if the hero is now female, and is on a completely different fantasy world, and all other characters have been removed, is it still Float? For the most part, no. The only thing remaining is the Stones, and even their number and properties have been altered. In most ways, it will be a brand-new book, with a brand-new name.
Much of 2014 will be devoted to building this world, its characters, their quests, and the relationships between them. I've already laid out a very basic outline, and have all of the Stones, and many of the characters, identified. How long until the first book is written? I don't know. I'd like to say before the end of the year, but I'm not sure. Especially since I'll be having a new and utterly adorable baby boy arriving in April, in addition to the two wild ones already under my charge. The life of this author will be just that much more hectic.
So I say again, wish me luck...
Thanks, Josiah.
Looking back on 2013, it was both exciting and depressing. Exciting, because of the acceptance of Time Stops in an online journal, and also the slightest taste Sons of Sludge gave me of the world of traditional publishing, from actually being in talks with a real literary agent. It's the farthest I've made it to date.
And depressing, because the aforementioned novel did not actually project me into said world of traditional publishing, and S.O.S. still remains unpublished, unrepresented, and largely unread, except for a select few test readers. Also, I didn't actually write a new novel in 2013. Yes, considerable work was put into rewriting S.O.S.'s ending, resulting in what I believe to be a better, stronger story. But no new projects were started.
So what's on the menu for 2014? I'm glad I asked.
I sent a few updated queries out for S.O.S. back in November, which so far have yielded nothing, so my attention for this novel has turned to the 2014 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. The contest itself has yet to be announced (stirring up much anxiety on the message boards, since last year's contest was announced the December before), but I have my pitch, excerpt and manuscript ready to go when it does. Wish me luck!
Another thing on my mind is my first novel, Float. I started reading it again, and have made a startling discovery: It's not as good as I remember.
*gasps from the studio audience*
When I started writing, I heard people talk about the "starter novel", the first manuscript from a new author that, in almost all cases, finds zero success. I resolved myself that I wouldn't fall prey to this statistic, that Float was incredible and worthy of best-seller status, and any agent or publisher who passed on it was a fool.
I guess my eyes have changed. Maybe it's from the process of writing and rewriting S.O.S. to appeal to a specific agent, or perhaps having a better sense of what readers want out of a book, having read many more books myself than before I started. But I can now see its flaws more clearly, and realize the difficulty of finding an audience for this type of story. I understand how readers might not feel engaged, if they aren't musicians themselves.
Do I still think it's good? Of course I do, I wrote the damn thing. And I believe the support and enthusiasm that my friends and family offered was genuine. I still believe the premise is rather original (as original as anything can be nowadays). I still love the characters, and the journey that it takes the reader on. And I still think it's better than some terrible books I've had the displeasure of reading, ones that somehow made onto the shelves.
I'm less biased though, now. I can see it for what it is... *sigh* A starter novel.
But that makes me worried. What if the same is true about Sons of Sludge? What if, a few years from now, I feel the same way about that? What if I enter it into the ABNA contest, and it doesn't even make it past the first cut? I can't answer that question right now. I'm too close, too invested in this story at the moment. I guess time will tell.
But what of the future of the Float series? I said before, I still think the premise is unique, but perhaps my execution was at fault. It seems the vast majority of young adult readers are female, and therefore the genre has much more female protagonists than male. This puts Float (and even S.O.S.) at a disadvantage. The first change is to create a female hero, one I hope my maleness won't taint. (Note to self: Don't immediately describe the character's boobs.)
Also, setting Paranormal Music in a modern setting, with electric guitars and rock/metal bands, is exciting (especially for a guitar-playing, rock/metal fan like myself), but that admittedly limits the readership appeal. For a new setting, I turn to my undying love for the fantasy works of J.R.R. Tolkien, and am putting the Paranormal Stones in a different world, wielded by skilled singers. Swords, horses, monsters, evil kings... all that jazz.
So if the hero is now female, and is on a completely different fantasy world, and all other characters have been removed, is it still Float? For the most part, no. The only thing remaining is the Stones, and even their number and properties have been altered. In most ways, it will be a brand-new book, with a brand-new name.
Much of 2014 will be devoted to building this world, its characters, their quests, and the relationships between them. I've already laid out a very basic outline, and have all of the Stones, and many of the characters, identified. How long until the first book is written? I don't know. I'd like to say before the end of the year, but I'm not sure. Especially since I'll be having a new and utterly adorable baby boy arriving in April, in addition to the two wild ones already under my charge. The life of this author will be just that much more hectic.
So I say again, wish me luck...
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Time Stops (and The Elation of Submission Success)
NO.
Ever since I started my pursuit as a writer almost three years ago, I've been told "no" almost as much as when I was a little kid, begging for unwarranted toys or candy in a store.
Of course, it never comes across so bluntly as a simple En-Oh. It's usually something along the lines of "Thank you for sharing this with us, but unfortunately we don't believe your story is quite right for us..." Either it's something like that, or in many cases, there's no response at all. But however it's said (or not said), it all still means "No".
Now, I understand agencies and publishers aren't out to dash my dreams. I know they're extremely busy and can't respond to everything personally. I also haven't been in this game very long, and haven't been rejected nearly as much many of my other fellow aspiring authors. But simply put, being told "no", time after time, sucks.
But then someone says "yes"...
A few months ago, while I was waiting to hear back from an agency regarding my revised manuscript for Sons of Sludge (which ended up resulting in another "no") I was at a loss for how I should proceed in the meantime. I've always heard people encouraging writers to never stop writing, but I wasn't quite sure about what to write. My wife suggested that I work on some short stories while I passed the time, and the product of this endeavor was two short tales about teenagers with reject superpowers.
After I finished the first one, Time Stops, I sent it to a handful of literary journals, not expecting much more to come from it, other than the standard rejections I was so used to receiving. And while I did receive some, one particular website sent an email that had never before graced my eyes. They actually said yes. I'd just lost my submission acceptance virginity. And it felt good.
Lunch Ticket, an online literary journal from the MFA community of Antioch University Los Angeles, will be featuring Time Stops in their December issue, which can be viewed HERE. I hope you enjoy it!
And what of my other writing endeavours? While I rejoice in this small victory, my work in the world of literature (or whatever you deem my stories as) is far from over. I've submitted my other short story, The Taxidermist's Daughter, to some journals, hoping to start a winning streak after this isolated incident. I've also sent revised queries for Sons of Sludge to some agents. If nothing comes from that, there's an online novel contest next year that might prove interesting. But whatever the case, this isn't the last you will hear from Josiah Upton, the Amateur Writing Bandit!
And to all my friends and family, thank you for your support. Many of you have expressed enjoyment in my writing in the past, and now having a complete stranger say it's worthy to be read by other complete strangers only affirms your sentiments. I hope to never disappoint you!
Ever since I started my pursuit as a writer almost three years ago, I've been told "no" almost as much as when I was a little kid, begging for unwarranted toys or candy in a store.
Of course, it never comes across so bluntly as a simple En-Oh. It's usually something along the lines of "Thank you for sharing this with us, but unfortunately we don't believe your story is quite right for us..." Either it's something like that, or in many cases, there's no response at all. But however it's said (or not said), it all still means "No".
Now, I understand agencies and publishers aren't out to dash my dreams. I know they're extremely busy and can't respond to everything personally. I also haven't been in this game very long, and haven't been rejected nearly as much many of my other fellow aspiring authors. But simply put, being told "no", time after time, sucks.
But then someone says "yes"...
A few months ago, while I was waiting to hear back from an agency regarding my revised manuscript for Sons of Sludge (which ended up resulting in another "no") I was at a loss for how I should proceed in the meantime. I've always heard people encouraging writers to never stop writing, but I wasn't quite sure about what to write. My wife suggested that I work on some short stories while I passed the time, and the product of this endeavor was two short tales about teenagers with reject superpowers.
After I finished the first one, Time Stops, I sent it to a handful of literary journals, not expecting much more to come from it, other than the standard rejections I was so used to receiving. And while I did receive some, one particular website sent an email that had never before graced my eyes. They actually said yes. I'd just lost my submission acceptance virginity. And it felt good.
Lunch Ticket, an online literary journal from the MFA community of Antioch University Los Angeles, will be featuring Time Stops in their December issue, which can be viewed HERE. I hope you enjoy it!
And what of my other writing endeavours? While I rejoice in this small victory, my work in the world of literature (or whatever you deem my stories as) is far from over. I've submitted my other short story, The Taxidermist's Daughter, to some journals, hoping to start a winning streak after this isolated incident. I've also sent revised queries for Sons of Sludge to some agents. If nothing comes from that, there's an online novel contest next year that might prove interesting. But whatever the case, this isn't the last you will hear from Josiah Upton, the Amateur Writing Bandit!
And to all my friends and family, thank you for your support. Many of you have expressed enjoyment in my writing in the past, and now having a complete stranger say it's worthy to be read by other complete strangers only affirms your sentiments. I hope to never disappoint you!
Friday, November 1, 2013
Hello Again
Yes, I'm still alive!
Sorry for the enormous break in updates, folks, but I assure you, I have been keeping busy... by waiting. Lots and lots of waiting. Let me give you the skinny on what's been going on the past 6 months:
As you may recall, my last post described the despondency of getting rejected by an opportunity that felt like a sure thing. What I neglected to tell you, however, was that the rejecting literacy agency in question did give me glimmer of hope within said rejection. While they generally liked my original manuscript for Sons of Sludge, they turned it down because of issues they had with it's ending, but expressed interest in seeing it again, in the event that I revised it.
And so that's what I did. I took a few months to revise the manuscript, changing the ending to what I thought might assuage the agent's concerns, and resubmitted it to them. Then I waited. And waited. Surely they would end up offering me representation, right? After all the work I put in, just for them?
Well, they didn't. For whatever reason (because they really didn't give me a specific reason), they said "no" again. And this time, that glimmer of hope was AWOL in the rejection. The door is now completely shut. It's extremely aggravating, putting that much time and energy into a dead-end, but I guess that's just the way the industry works. I knew that - more or less - going into this.
And it wasn't a complete loss. I believe my revised manuscript is better than the original, and it has now taken the place as the official copy.
But now what?
Though I'm not too optimistic, and I dread the process, there's still some options to scrape up from the bottom of the literary agent barrel. I can re-query agents that turned me down before, this time offering the revised manuscript. I know it's a long shot, but it's something.
And I promise you, Sons of Sludge WILL be available to read. I suspect it will be rather soon, too, unless by some miracle an agent responds positively, which would further delay its release (ugh). But either way, just like my Undead protagonist Zaul, this story isn't finished with life yet.
While I was waiting, I also wrote a couple of short stories, for a series I am tentatively calling "16 & Strange". TIME STOPS is about a completely paralyzed boy who can freeze time once a day, and THE TAXIDERMIST'S DAUGHTER is about a girl who can experience the lives of dead animals when she lays her hand on them. I may make these little nuggets available for you to read in the near future, so check back now and then.
Also, Float is once again available for free on Amazon, for today and tomorrow only. If you've never downloaded it, or know somebody else who should, now is the perfect opportunity to support your local independent author achieve his small-scale dreams. And if you REALLY love me, and have already read Float, leave a quick review for it on Amazon. This would help me more than you can imagine.
You'll hear from me soon, friends.
Sorry for the enormous break in updates, folks, but I assure you, I have been keeping busy... by waiting. Lots and lots of waiting. Let me give you the skinny on what's been going on the past 6 months:
As you may recall, my last post described the despondency of getting rejected by an opportunity that felt like a sure thing. What I neglected to tell you, however, was that the rejecting literacy agency in question did give me glimmer of hope within said rejection. While they generally liked my original manuscript for Sons of Sludge, they turned it down because of issues they had with it's ending, but expressed interest in seeing it again, in the event that I revised it.
And so that's what I did. I took a few months to revise the manuscript, changing the ending to what I thought might assuage the agent's concerns, and resubmitted it to them. Then I waited. And waited. Surely they would end up offering me representation, right? After all the work I put in, just for them?
Well, they didn't. For whatever reason (because they really didn't give me a specific reason), they said "no" again. And this time, that glimmer of hope was AWOL in the rejection. The door is now completely shut. It's extremely aggravating, putting that much time and energy into a dead-end, but I guess that's just the way the industry works. I knew that - more or less - going into this.
And it wasn't a complete loss. I believe my revised manuscript is better than the original, and it has now taken the place as the official copy.
But now what?
Though I'm not too optimistic, and I dread the process, there's still some options to scrape up from the bottom of the literary agent barrel. I can re-query agents that turned me down before, this time offering the revised manuscript. I know it's a long shot, but it's something.
And I promise you, Sons of Sludge WILL be available to read. I suspect it will be rather soon, too, unless by some miracle an agent responds positively, which would further delay its release (ugh). But either way, just like my Undead protagonist Zaul, this story isn't finished with life yet.
While I was waiting, I also wrote a couple of short stories, for a series I am tentatively calling "16 & Strange". TIME STOPS is about a completely paralyzed boy who can freeze time once a day, and THE TAXIDERMIST'S DAUGHTER is about a girl who can experience the lives of dead animals when she lays her hand on them. I may make these little nuggets available for you to read in the near future, so check back now and then.
Also, Float is once again available for free on Amazon, for today and tomorrow only. If you've never downloaded it, or know somebody else who should, now is the perfect opportunity to support your local independent author achieve his small-scale dreams. And if you REALLY love me, and have already read Float, leave a quick review for it on Amazon. This would help me more than you can imagine.
You'll hear from me soon, friends.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Publication Woes
If only finding representation were as easy for me as for a rapper's hometown.
I know, I know... It's been almost four months since my last post, the biggest gap ever in the now one year history of this blog. I know my readers are few, and somewhere small in the back of their minds, a dying gasp of a whisper itches at them to check for an update. The itch goes unheeded. And, to be honest, I've barely thought about this blog myself.
There are other things on my mind. Namely, the wretched process that is prying one's way into the publishing world. Hoping their polished turd of a book (or at least it feels that way sometimes) will reach beyond the realm of their friends and family. To one day see their work in print, and not because you paid someone to print it.
The first stage - writing the damn thing - I finished at the end of the year. The month of January was spent editing and polishing the aforementioned turd to the best of my ability, and letting a few family members read it. Only positive things were said.
But all that was the easy part. The next step was to find a literary agent to represent my work to a major publisher. SPOILER ALERT: I haven't.
I sent out a wave of email queries to a number of agencies, expecting either rejections, or nothing at all. But, within the first day of my search, an agent requested my first 50 pages! Needless to say I was quite excited, especially since no such luck was found after querying for months with Float.
Then, they asked for the full manuscript. I was awestruck. Periodic feedback was very positive, and my tower of hopes kept building higher and higher. It felt like such a sure deal, that in no time negotiations would be made with a big publishing house to get Sons of Sludge on the shelves. I had the chilled bubbly on standby at all times.
But then, my tower of hopes was smeared with the very turd it was built upon, then knocked over into the mud. And more turds. The agency ended up declining my book.
And now I'm back to square one. Actually, square negative one, as I have less agents to query than when I started. It's quite depressing.
I jest when I say Sons of Sludge is a turd. I actually think it is very good, worthy of print and readership and accolades. And, though I am aware of my personal bias, I believe it to be better than some books already in print, even on some best-seller lists. But what good is that if an agent, much less a publishing company, doesn't feel the same way? I know it's all just part of the game, but sometimes playing the game sucks.
But I guess I shouldn't complain too much. I haven't been at it for too long, where other fellow authors having been searching for an agent for years. And, like them, I won't give up. Thanks for hearing me vent, and hopefully, the next time I post, it'll be that good news every budding author dreams of.
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